Marshals to make Ilfracombe’s summer safer

Marshals will help ensure a safer summer in Ilfracombe this year after new funding is made available. The funding is part of an overall investment of £400,000 from the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. The money is aimed specifically at preventing antisocial behaviour (ASB) by young people and creating safer settings for the evening and night-time economy (ENTE) in key areas. These themes were deliberately chosen to tie in with Devon and Cornwall’s Operation Marnow strategy which highlights both ASB and ENTE as potential issues this summer following the Covid unlock in July.

In Ilfracombe, funding of £10,000 has been matched by the Government’s Welcome Back Fund to give an overall spend of £20,000.This money will pay for specialist First Aid trained marshals to patrol the town seven days of week during evenings throughout the summer. Alison Hernandez, Police and Crime Commissioner for Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, said: “I’m aware some of our community are nervous about the spread of Covid during the unlock and may be too afraid to enjoy our beautiful towns, cities and coastline. Our experiences last summer showed that dry weather, alcohol and freedom led to some dire consequences. I want this opportunity to be used to prevent the escalation of anti-social behaviour because someone will intervene early setting clear expectations. Tourism is the lifeblood of Devon and Cornwall and it’s understandable that both locals and visitors will be wanting to make the most of their new-found freedoms and enjoy the summer. However, it’s important this does not veer into criminality or behaviour that can make normal people feel threatened or vulnerable. The measures we are funding will help us keep an eye on both antisocial behaviour and the nighttime economy and hopefully prevent any unwanted scenarios, allowing everyone